


Taang Week 2020

by mflaherty87



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bending (Avatar), Chicken Fight, Ember Island (Avatar), F/M, Fluff, Fortune Telling, Hair Braiding, Hiking, Minor Character(s), Modern AU, Multi, Past Character Death, Spirit World (Avatar), The Future, The Past, Traditions, heart felt talks, sokka and suki have a kid, steamy kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26627335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mflaherty87/pseuds/mflaherty87
Summary: Taang Week 2020Day 1: Tradition - What started as a bet became a tradition.Day 2: Modern AU - After being homeschooled all her life, Toph is attending the largest college, Ba Sing Se University, to study business. How will she react to meeting people from different nations? What will happen when she catches the eye of a well-traveled air nomad? *This will probably become a whole lot longer than a one-shot.*Day 3: Spirit World - After Aang’s death, Toph is at a loss. Toph visits Aang’s statue at the Southern Air Temple to keep the temple in order like she had promised Aang before he died. What happens when Aang’s spirit visits a mourning Toph?Day 4: The Future - Toph has never been one for thinking about the future. She liked living in the here and now. How she ended up at this Aunt Wu’s place was beyond her.Day 5: The Past - Aang reminisces on some of his firsts with TophDay 6: Nature - The gaang attempts to summit a fourteener. Modern AUDay 7: Ember Island - The Gaang vacations in Ember Island ten years after the war.This is my first fanfiction. I'd love to get feedback, please be constructive if not giving positive feedback :)
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar) past/friendship, Aang/Toph Beifong, Katara/Zuko (Avatar) sort of, Sokka/Suki (Avatar) just a little bit, Toph Beifong & Zuko friendship - Relationship
Comments: 7
Kudos: 85





	1. Day 1: Tradition

Sitting with her feet in the water, a young woman took her long, black silky hair out of its signature bun, seeming to be looking at the large waterfall across from her. She reached her arms back to rest her weight on them while listening to the sound of rushing water and the animals around her. More importantly, she was waiting for someone to show up.

A few moments later, a bald monk with arrow tattoos on his head and limbs appears, with light feet whistling an unfamiliar tune. He’s holding a small knife, flowers, and a comb in his hands. The monk looks at the silhouette of the woman sitting by the waterfall with excited anticipation. He walks up and sits next to her, taking his shoes off to dip his feet into the water too.

“Took you long enough, Twinkletoes,” the woman said with a hidden tone of playfulness in her voice.

“Sorry, Toph,” bald monk sheepishly grinned. “I was trying to find enough flowers for the task.”

“Yeah, yeah. Flowers. Let’s just get this over with,” Toph said blowing a tuff of hair away from her face.

“Okay!” the tall monk said getting up and moving to stand behind the blind earthbender with the comb in his hand. “Let me know if I pull too hard or if you need a break” as he pushed the comb through her long hair. 

Only a grunt was heard as her response. Toph slowly closed her eyes enjoying the feeling of the comb and Aang’s hands in her hair. The pair sat in comfortable silence while the airbender got all the knots out of the earthbender’s wild hair. 

Fifteen minutes past and Toph’s hair was finally knot-free falling straight down her back, pooling on the ground. Aang grabbed the knife preparing himself for the cut. “Do you want me to cut it to the same length I do every year?”

“Yeah, cut it at my waist,” the earthbender shrugged. “How and when exactly did we start doing this every year?” Toph asked out loud to herself.

“Well,” Aang mused, “It all started out as a bet, five years ago. Katara and you wanted to see who could freak out Sokka the most. If you won, Katara would have to do whatever you said for a day, and if Katara won, she said that I would cut your hair.” 

“Oh, right,” Toph grumbled. “She definitely used that bet to get hers and Sparky’s relationship out in the open. Man,” she giggled, “Sokka yelled at Zuko for hours after that. Screeching for him to not touch his little sister again… Yeah, I definitely couldn’t beat that reaction.” Toph felt her hair being sectioned off by Aang so he could cut it easily with the knife he brought.  
Aang laughed along at the memory of Sokka being the overprotective brother. He then pulled a section of toph’s hair taught preparing himself to make the first cut. “Are you sure you want it cut?” He could practically hear Toph rolling her eyes at the question. The airbender asked this every year before chopping the first section off. 

“Yes, Twinkles. It’s the same thing every year. Hair grows back, as you can clearly see with how long it got again,” Toph replied. 

“Okay, I just wanted to make sure, just in case you changed your mind,” Aang said.

The chop of the first section was heard and a whole foot of black tresses fell to the floor. Toph stayed silent to allow her hairdresser to concentrate on the rest of the cuts. Ten minutes later her hair was waist length again. Now came the hard part the pair thought: cutting the bangs. Aang never understood why Toph continued sporting bangs. All she ever did was complain about them and blow them off her face. He asks her to turn around so he can begin his handy work on Toph’s very overgrown bangs. 

The Avatar paused, staring at his sifu. She was no longer the rough, tomboy who trained him. Over the years, she had grown into a beautiful woman. Her face slimmed down, revealing high defined cheekbones, and her once boyish frame transformed into an hourglass figure, complete with a tiny waist as if to remind her friends that she was in fact female. She had taken to wearing more feminine clothing, at least a quarter of the time, today included. She wore a forest green dress with embroidered flower patterns that flowed down to her feet. Aang sighed taking in her beauty. “Are you sure you want me to cut your bangs this year? They’re almost all grown out, and you always complain about them being a hassle.” Aang muttered under his breath, “And you look really pretty with them grown out”

Toph paused upon hearing his last statement. ‘Aang thinks I’m pretty?’ Toph had never thought of herself as pretty before. She didn’t ever need to because of her blindness. She had heard it numerous times in the past few years but shook the compliments off since they were usually from creeps walking by her. After a long pause, Toph finally answered, “Fine, I’ll keep my bangs long for now.”

Aang continued to gaze at her, and suddenly remembered the second part of the tradition: styling her hair. Aang had been cutting Toph’s hair for two years before he finally got the guts to ask her if he could style it after cutting it. They had may a bet that would decide whether he would be able to braid it. Aang won that bet much to Toph’s dismay and he proceeded to braid it. Him giving her a yearly haircut and intricate braids became a tradition for them. It allowed the pair to see each other between their busy schedules. And, though Toph would never admit it, she enjoyed feeling Aang play with her hair. 

Toph turned around, already knowing the next step in this ritual, and dipped her feet back into the river. She felt Aang weaving her hair in an intricate design, placing flowers in it every once in a while. She felt her hair drop to her back and sensed Aang moving to sit next to her again, wading his feet in the water. 

The two caught up with what they had been doing for the past year while Aang made a flower crown. They came to a natural silence just as the airbender completed the crown. They turned to face each other. Aang placed the crown on Toph’s head and smiled. He moved a stray piece of hair behind her ear, leaving his hand cupping her cheek. 

The Avatar slowly leaned in, and Toph surprisingly leaning in too. Their lips met in a chaste kiss. They held their place until Aang pulled away blushing. He didn’t know what came over him, but the kiss felt so good. So right. 

Toph sat there with a light tint on her cheeks. She hadn’t expected this to be part of her day but found that she enjoyed it. Before Aang could say anything, she grabbed him by his robes and pulled him into another kiss. 

This kiss held much more passion than the first. Aang pulled his sifu closer to deepen the kiss, lightly biting her lower lip. Toph challenged the bite and kept her lips sealed, smirking into the kiss. He started sucking her lip hard, begging for access. The stubborn earthbender denied entrance making Aang realize he needed a different strategy. He suddenly pushed her down, so he was laying on top of her. That move did the trick as Toph gasped at the sudden position change. Aang took his chance and pushed his tongue past her lips. Their tongues wrestled for control while each tried to savor the taste of the other. 

Slowly, both pulled away, panting. The Avatar looked at his earthbending master waiting on to hear her thoughts on the kiss. After Toph catches her breathe, she looks toward her first pupil and gives him a toothly grin “We should add that to our tradition.”  
*


	2. Day 2: Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being homeschooled all her life, Toph is attending the largest college, Ba Sing Se University, to study business. How will she react to meeting people from different nations? What will happen when she catches the eye of a well-traveled air nomad? Toph is legally blind. She needs glasses to be able to see. It starts off sounding like a Toko story, but it’s not, I promise. *This will probably become a whole series at some point.*

After four weeks of attending Ba Sing Se University, Toph finally made her first friend, if you call her TA a friend. His name is Zuko. Zuko is a fifth-year Business Administration student who happened to be TAing Toph’s Finance 101 course. 

Toph never wanted to be a business major, but her parents said that the only way she would be able to go to college is if she majored in business. So here she was, a business major, struggling to understand the concepts in a beginner’s class all because she found it too boring. Toph hated asking for help ever since she was a little girl, but in order to keep her freedom, she would have to do well in her class. This is what led her to go to Zuko’s office hours. 

Zuko had a way of explaining finance to her where she could actually understand the concepts and not be bored. This is how their friendship began. She went to his office hours and he explained the week's concepts to her, then tested her. After, they would talk about the football game that happened the past weekend or just about life. 

Zuko had invited Toph to hangout outside of office hours since other students occasionally would come to talk to Zuko only to find him and Toph in some sort of debate. Zuko texted Toph the location of his uncle’s tea shop, The Jasmine Dragon. They planned to meet at 5:00, after Zuko’s shift, and just get to know each other more. 

The bell of the door rang as someone entered The Jasmine Dragon. Aang, the cashier/waiter called out a “Welcome in” without looking up. The place somehow always managed to be busy, no matter what time or season it was. Iroh said it was because he only hired the best of the best in customer service. Aang quickly bussed a vacated table and ran behind the counter when noticing a customer looking at the flavors. 

After placing his full tray of dirty dishes in the sink, he turned around to take the now waiting customer. Upon seeing her, his heart skipped a beat. The customer was a girl about his age, ‘probably a first-year like me’ he thought. She wore a mint green tank top, black jeans, combat boots, and a white, green, and black flannel tied around her waist. She wore oversized glasses with her hair in a messy bun. She held a white and red walking stick, indicating that she was legally blind. She held her phone close to her face, waiting for someone to come to the desk.

Shaking himself out of his trance, he croaked, “Hello, welcome to The Jasmine Dragon, what can I get started for you?” Aang didn’t know why he was so nervous. He had tons of girl friends. He talked to Katara and Suki all the time, but for some reason, this girl in front of him was different.

She looked up from her phone startled from the voice but quickly recovered. “Hi, could I get a pot of ginseng tea? And could to tell Zuko that I’m here? I got here faster than I expected.”

“Sure,” Aang chirped. He started getting the pot ready when he heard the girl say, “So… how much do I owe you?” Aang spun around and laughed, nervously. “Oh, it’s on the house. For someone so pret- I mean for a friend of Zuko’s. Can I get your name?” Aang paused. “Not to pry, but so I can let you know when your pot is ready and so I can tell Zuko you’re here,” he exclaimed in one quick breath.

“…It’s Toph… thanks for letting Sparky know I’m here.” She walked away to one of the empty tables before Aang could mutter “Sparky?” and proceeded to hold her phone close to her face. 

As Aang got Toph’s drink ready, his mind wondered. ‘Of course, she knows Zuko. Everyone knows Zuko. I bet they’re dating. Zuko always gets the good ones.’ As the tea seeped, he ran to the back, where Zuko was working on some paperwork, looking crazy with his hair sticking up everywhere.

“Zuko, there’s someone named Toph here for you. She said she got here early.” Zuko looked up from his papers and nodded. 

“Thanks, buddy, I’ll be out in a minute.” The older boy quickly organized his work, went to the mirror to fix his hair, and walked out. Aang followed Zuko up until the counter and waited for the time to run out. He watched as Zuko and Toph embraced. They sat back down, and Toph’s face became animated while telling Zuko something funny. Aang watched the two. bothered that Zuko got to talk to this mysterious beauty. 

The timer ended, so this gave Aang the opportunity to interact with Toph again. He swiftly put the tea and two teacups (in case Zuko wanted to drink some, too) on a tray and eagerly walked over to the two. “Ginseng tea, for the lady. And an extra teacup if you’d like any,” Aang poured the tea. Zuko accepted a cup and thanked Aang.

“Thanks…. What’s your name?” Toph mused.

“Aang! My name is Aang,” the boy responded quickly.

“Well, thank you, Aang. It tastes great.” 

The younger boy stood there for a few seconds before realizing the seated pair were waiting for him to leave. He sheepishly smiled, rubbing the back of his bald head and turned to leave. He suddenly turned around with a quick, “enjoy” and walked away. The pair picked up their conversation as Aang returned to the counter. He watched the two intensely.

“I’ve got to get to know her better,” Aang said to himself cleaning off the back table.  
*


	3. Day 3: Spirit World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Aang’s death, Toph is at a loss. Toph visits Aang’s statue at the Southern Air Temple to keep the temple in order, like she had promised Aang before he died. What happens when Aang’s spirit visits a mourning Toph?

The Winter Solstice is one of the only times the Spirit World can connect with the physical world. Toph, of course, didn’t know this, but something told her to visit the Southern Air Temple today.

Aang’s death took a toll on the whole world, but Toph took it the hardest. Aang was the only one who understood her and loved her unconditionally. She never showed how much it hurt. She felt that she had to stay strong for her kids. 

She would do anything for him, and he knew that. That’s why on his deathbed, he asked Toph to continue restoring the air temples. So, she did just that. 

She had just finished the Eastern Air Temple a few days ago and was going to return home when a feeling told her to go to the Southern Air Temple instead. Toph being the stubborn woman she is tried ignoring the feeling and started heading toward Republic City. A strong breeze intercepted her course and pushed her toward the Southern Air Temple. After that, she decided Aang was guiding her and obliged with the wind and her gut to go visit the Southern Air Temple. 

Aang had taken her to visit multiple times, describing what he remembered it looking like when he was a child. He wanted it to be restored to the way it looked before he was stuck in the iceberg. Upon stepping foot into the place, Toph sensed that she was alone. She wondered through the halls and ended up in a room full of statues. She had been in here once before with Aang. She remembers that day he explained that this is where all the statues of the past Avatars were. There was one in each temple and nation. He explained who each of the Avatars were and what they were known for. Toph always likes Kyoshi. She seemed like Toph’s kind of Avatar; stern, brave, strong, and a powerful earthbender. She’d always tease Aang that she liked Kyoshi more than her own husband.

Toph wondered the hall sensing the stone of each Avatar that came before her husband when she finally stood in front of the statue of Aang. She could feel that the statue was of him in his thirties. She smiled and sat down in from of the statue. 

“So…” Toph began. “You’ll be gone for just over a month now. I miss you so much. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now. You were my compass, telling me the good from bad, right and wrong.” Toph broke down for the first time since he left her. Her shoulders shook, and she let out loud weeps that she had held back for the past month. She was alone, so she didn’t have to be strong for anyone else. 

Suddenly, she sensed footsteps walking towards her. They were light on the ground. One’s she’d know anywhere, especially after forty years of marriage and many more traveling together. They were coming closer to her, almost running. Then, they stopped right behind the blind earthbender. 

“Toph,” said the owner of the feet she knew she lost earlier that season.

Toph refused to turn around. Her mind must be playing tricks on her. “You’re not really here. It’s not possible,” she said while shaking her head. She felt a familiar hand touch her shoulder.

“I’m really here, Toph. It’s the Winter Solstice, the spirits can cross over into the physical world today.” Aang said with a smile on his face. It had only been a month since he pasted, but he missed his wife so much. He had to take the chance to see her again.

Toph turned around, feeling his presence and jumped into his arms, sobbing. He really was here, or his spirit at least. “So it was you then that redirected my ship here.”

“Yes,” he responded. “I wanted to see you and try something.”

“What do you want to try?” Toph asked.

“Since I can come here, I want to see if you can come to the Spirit World, at least for a little while.” Aang replied. “Will you try it with me?”

“Sure Twinkles. What do I have to do?” his wife asked.

“Well,” Aang said sitting down in a lotus position, “You’ll have to meditate with me for a bit. If we do successfully do this, you need to have an earthly tether or else you may not be able to get back to the physical world.”

Toph moved into a lotus position, “Okay, so I need an earthly tether. I guess you can’t be it anymore since you’re a spirit. I’ll use the kids then.” She closed her eyes and let Aang guide her. Toph suddenly felt a weird sensation go through her body. She felt like she was being pulled up. She didn’t dare open her eyes until the sensation went away.

Even after the sensation stopped, she didn’t open her eyes until Toph realized that she couldn’t ‘see’ with her feet. She slowly opened her eyes and saw so many colors and objects that she could have never imagined. She then saw a man. He was tall and bald with arrow tattoos on his head and limbs. He had a beard that ran across his face and bright gray eyes. The man wore a monk’s robe and stood looking at Toph expectantly. 

Toph gasped, realizing the man standing in front of her was Aang. She ran towards him, embracing him tightly. She then looked up and kissed him hard. Toph missed this. His presence. She looked down at her hands to find that she was also in her thirties, no longer having back pain. She looked back at him and asked, “How is this possible? And damn, I well. My husband is a hotty”

“We’re in the Spirit World, T. We can be whatever age we please. And you can see now because there’s no bending in the spirit world. I’m so happy this worked, and I can see you again. And you can see me for the first time.” Aang said blushing from his wife’s comment.

The two sat under a tree, Aang leaning against the trunk and Toph leading against his chest. “How long do we have?” Toph wondered. Toph still couldn’t believe she could actually see her husband. She reached out and touched his face. She never wanted this to end.

“Well,” Aang began, “We have until the end of the Winter Solstice. Then, I think you’ll have to return to your body, or else you may die.”

“That wouldn’t be the worst thing… I mean I could stay here with you, right?” Toph debated. 

“Honey, our kids will be devastated to find your dead body in the Southern Air Temple. Plus who knows how long it’ll be until someone else visits.” Aang reasoned. “Plus, our kids still need their mother.”

“I beg to differ, Twinkletoes,” Toph argued. “Our kids are full-grown adults who also have kids. They don’t need their mom anymore.” Toph paused. “I need you more.”

“Toph, you have to leave this world naturally. You dying because you spend too long in the spirit world will offset the balance.” Aang murmured.

“Agh, fine. I’ll go back!” Toph yelled. “But, will we be able to visit with each other every year on the Winter Solstice?” she asked in a small voice. 

“I don’t know, T. But we can always try every year.” Aang replied. The petite woman grabbed his robes. “Don’t worry about being alone. I’ll always be with you, whether you know it or not. Just think that every time you feel wind blowing that I’m right by your side.” He comforted, combing his fingers through her hair.

“Fine… but if you’re not greeting me when I’m on my deathbed, I’m going to kick your Avatar spirit ass into the Earth or Fire Avatar,” Toph threatened. “Who knows how long I’ll live or how stupid your current Avatar life will be.”

“Deal,” Aang says while kissing his wife’s temple.

The couple laid together in comfortable silence for hours, just wanting to take in each other’s presence. Aang shifted, “Toph, my love, time is almost up. You have to return to your body.”

Toph sighed. “Okay. Now how do I do that?”

Aang shifted into a lotus pose and Toph followed suit. “Now, remember your earthly attachments. Think solely about those and you should feel a pull done to your body.”

“Alright,” Toph said glumly. “But before I go…” Toph launched herself at her husband and kissed him passionately in case it would be the last time the saw each other until Toph joined Aang. “...Okay, I’m ready.”

They both sat in the lotus position, knees touching. Suddenly, Toph felt a pull tug her spirit down. When the tugging stopped, she opened her eyes to darkness but could see through her feet again. She sighed, sad to be separated from her soulmate. 

Toph stayed the night at the Southern Air Temple then packed up the next morning to head back to her home in Republic City. The boat ride back was relaxing. She opened her eyes when she felt the wind blow gently on her face. Toph smiled, happy to feel Aang’s presence in the physical world.  
*


	4. Day 4: The Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes to Makapu to get their fortunes read again, but this time with Toph, Suki, and Zuko.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is late! It was a busy week, but I'm slowly getting to finish each prompt!

Toph has never been one for thinking about the future. She liked living in the here and now. How she ended up at this Aunt Wu’s place was beyond her. All she remembered was Katara gushing about this lady because of her amazing gift, the whole gang sounding interested, and her being dragged to the town.

A lot had changed since the last time the original trio visited Aunt Wu. Aang was not longer a love-sick puppy following Katara around. Katara had grown into a powerful bender and healer whose mind wasn’t always thinking about love. Sokka, well Sokka was still himself, just less misogynistic. Three new people accompanied them, Suki, Zuko, and Toph.

Suki was excited to hear her fortune. She needed guidance on what to do next. With her and Sokka dating, she wasn’t sure if she should continue being the leaders of the Kyoshi Warriors or go live in the South Pole with Sokka. Zuko surprisingly was excited to go. He was nervous about his reign as Fire Lord and wanted to hear how it would go. He also wanted to see if he could get any hint on who his Fire Lady would be since the fire sages kept pushing for him to get married and produce an heir. Toph got outvoted and dragged along. Katara nagged that she may learn something important about her future. 

The gang was gathered in the fortune teller’s waiting room quietly chatting about what their future may hold. Meng, Aunt Wu’s assistant, came out to greet the war heroes. Meng had grown taller and lost her pigtails. She wore a similar pink and purple robe. The last time, she had seen the group she was infatuated with the Avatar. It seems that a few years didn’t dull the feelings she felt for Aang. 

Meng snuck behind the airbender and gave him a tight hug, “Aang! You came back! I knew you would come back for me,” the young girl swooned with infatuation clear in her eyes. The airbender rubbed the back of his bald head laughing nervously, “Oh hey Meng. You’re still here… haha… it’s good to see you again. My friends and I are actually here to get our fortunes read again by Aunt Wu.” Aang pointed to his friends. “You already know Sokka and Katara.” Meng looked around recognizing the water tribe siblings, thinking ‘floozy’ as her eyes landed on Katara. “This is Suki,” Aang continued. Her eyes moved past the water tribe pair to Suki, who was wearing her Kyoshi Warrior uniform, then to Zuko, examining him closely. ‘Well he’s quite attractive,’ Meng thought as a light blush appeared on her cheeks. ‘Since Aang isn’t interested, maybe that firebender will be my new target,’ Meng daydreamed. “This is Zuko,” Aang pointed to the young Fire Lord, interrupting Meng’s thoughts of her newest infatuation. “And this is Toph,” the Avatar finished. Meng didn’t even take notice of the blind earthbender, as she continued to fantasize about her life with Zuko. 

After a pregnant pause, Aunt Wu came out unknowingly diffusing the tension. “Aw, Avatar Aang! You’ve returned to our little town of Makapu. And I’ve seen you’ve reconnected with Meng. What can I do for you and your team today?”

“Hi Aunt Wu,” Aang began, “We were telling our friends about your famous fortune-telling, and they wanted to come can get a glimpse at their future. We,” pointing at him, Katara, and Sokka, “would also like to get our fortunes told again to see if anything has changed since our first reading.”

Aunt Wu looked at the group, remembering Katara asking her such simple questions, like what fruit she should eat, she hoped the young lady or any of the newcomers wouldn’t do anything like that. “I would be honored to reveal the future to the world’s saviors. Who would like to go first?” The group looked at each other, unsure of who should go first. After no one made a move to come forward, the fortune teller made the decision for them. “How about we do the boys together and the girls together. Men, follow me to the back.” Aunt Wu walked back not waiting to see if they followed here.

The boys all walked back, nervous about what they were going to hear. When they entered, they spotted the old woman sitting on a pillow behind a fire. Three pillows sat on the other side of the fire, closest to the three who just entered. She instructed them to sit so Aang sat on the middle pillow with Zuko on his left and Sokka on his right.

“Now, let’s start with the water tribe warrior,” Aunt Wu mused. “Are you still as cynical about my gift as you were three years ago, young man?” Sokka shifted uncomfortably, “Well,” he began, “I’m still cynical, but I have a more open mind to your gift than when I first met you.”

“Ah, good,” she responded. “Now, are there any questions you want answers to about your life?” Sokka sat for a second, thinking about the things he wanted to know. “Hmm. I guess I’d like to know if I’ll be married and to who if that’s possible. Also, just what my future, in general, has in store.” Satisfied with his answer Aunt Wu requested his dominant hand. Her fingers swept across his palm, examining the future written on his palm. “Well, young warrior, it seems that you’ve already met the one whom you’re going to marry. Your palm shows that they’re a strong Earth Kingdom citizen. Very powerful and strong-willed. You two will have three children together,” she read. ‘Hmm,’ Sokka thought. ‘Earth Kingdom… That checks out. That means I’m with the right person… unless it’s Toph… she’s also from the Earth Kingdom and she’s powerful and strong-willed like Suki. Aunt Wu never mentioned whether my future wife was a bender or not… Wait, she didn’t even mention whether I’m going to marry a woman or a man. So that means I could be with a guy. I’m pretty sure I prefer the ladies, but I’ve never thought about being with a guy.’ Sokka began to internally panic, worried that his person was meant to be Toph, or if he’s been misreading his sexuality his whole life. Continuing down another line on his palm, ignoring the anxious feelings radiating off the water tribesman, she says, “You’re going to be a busy man when you're older. You work hard, and you’ll be holding two high-ranking jobs at the same time. You’ll be busy but will find it worth it,” Aunt Wu finishes. 

The fortune-teller finally responds to the anxious vibes burning off Sokka, “What are you worried about? I read that you have a very bright future ahead of yourself.” Sokka exhaled, “Well… you never mentioned whether my life partner would be a boy or a girl, so I’m honestly questioning my sexuality right now. You also didn’t mention whether they were a bender or non-bender… So, can you tell me more about that?” 

Aunt Wu rolled her eyes. Of course, his future life partner would be a woman if he was attracted to women, if he was attracted to men then his life partner would be a man. That is something he can only decide. “Palm readings don’t give that kind of insight, but I would imagine that you are meant to be with the gender you find attractive. Trust in yourself, young warrior. You will know who your life partner is in your heart.” Aunt Wu paused. “Now, Fire Lord, I will be using a different method for you. Please choose a cup of tea and finish the glass.”

Zuko looked at the twelve cups of teas on the tray. They were placed in a circular pattern. After deliberating which cup to choose, he grabbed the center cup of tea. He was surprised that it was still hot when he sipped the liquid. The tea was mint-flavored which was refreshing after all the jasmine tea his uncle gave him. Once Zuko finished the cup Aunt Wu held out her hand and gestured to the cup. The firebender handed the cup over and she analyzed it. “The tea leaves show that you will have a long, peaceful reign as Fire Lord,” Aunt Wu began. “I’m seeing a deep, strong love that’s hidden within you.” Zuko averted eye contact when hearing this. “It’s something you should let out,” the old woman continued. “Your affection will be returned by her. And if you play your cards right, you two will have an epic love story ending with a big family.” She paused. “I’m seeing a powerful bender as the one who holds your heart. Someone who will unite nations with marriage.” Aunt Wu let the Fire Lord sit on what she just said. Zuko knew exactly who she was implying for he had been keeping his feelings for a particular waterbender for years now. He smiled and thanked the old woman.

Sokka, on the other hand, was mad. Mad that Zuko at least knew that his life partner is a powerful bender that he already had feelings for. AND he knew that his partner was female. Sokka thought about who it could be. Maybe it’s Katara?? Or Toph?? They are the only powerful female benders from a different nation than him. He dismissed it being Katara because who could really like his baby sister? She had cooties and was his sister. ‘It must be Toph,’ Sokka thought. Sokka, of course, didn’t know how wrong he was, but he was pulled back when Aunt Wu brought out a pile of bones and held the pile up to the young Avatar.

Aang had done this once before with Aunt Wu and wasn’t happy with the fortune he heard the first time. But, he was willing to give the method a shot again since he had defeated Ozai a few years ago. He hoped that there would be some kind of love interest shown in the cracks of the bone. Aang picked up a small bone on the top and threw it into the fire. Relieved, his bone cracked in a much more relaxed manner than this first time.

Aunt Wu smiled at what she saw. “I see you have overcome the strife that was predicted last time Avatar Aang.” Aang leaned forward anxious to hear with Aunt Wu had to say about the bone. “I see that you still want to find love and you will, but it will not be with the same person you hoped it would be when you were twelve. This love you will find will grow in the most unexpected place. Don’t look too far or high, you’ll miss her. I also see that you wish to bring your culture back. You will also succeed in doing it with the one I mentioned. I see difficult trials in your future, but you will overcome it.” Aang sat there baffled. ‘So, Katara isn’t the one for me then’ he thought. He was happy that he would have and airbending child or children, but who is this mystery girl that will help bring back Air Nomads.

“What do you mean by don’t look too far or high?” Aang asked, curious. “All I can see is that wind and stone will reunite again. This union has happened many times before in your past lives, different affinities but the love you and this person transcends lifetimes.” Aang grumbled at the comment. It didn’t clear anything up for him. 

Aang’s reading was the end of the boys’ readings. Aunt Wu escorted them out and called the three girls in for their readings. The boys took the girls' places as the girls filed into Aunt Wu’s back room. The fortune-teller instructed them to sit in a certain order. Katara sat on the left, Suki in the middle, and Toph on the right. She began by reading Katara’s palm, much like she read Sokka’s. Aunt Wu was not surprised to see that not much had changed. “Well, my dear, it looks like you will still marry a powerful bender and live to be a very old age, seeing you great-grandchildren being born.” Katara looked a bit disappointed to not find anything new out, but she reminded herself that she is fortunate that she will have a good, long life with someone she loves. Even if she didn’t know what that would be, yet. “So,” Katara started, “There’s absolutely nothing new to my fortune from last time?” Aunt Wu looked at her for a second and back down at her palm. “Actually, I do see one thing that’s new.” Katara perked up at this. “What is it?!” the waterbender asked excitedly. “I’m seeing that your marriage will unite two warring nations and bring a time of peace. The marriage is both good politically and for your soul.” After getting her hand back, Katara looked at it in awe. She’s going to marry a power bender from another nation and will bring peace. ‘But who is it,’ she thought.

“That sounds like a sweet deal for you Sugar Queen,” Toph laughed, bring Katara out of her head. Toph listened closely to the old woman’s heartbeat, skeptical about her ‘gift.’ To the earthbender’s surprise, Aunt Wu’s heartbeat was steady as ever. ‘She’s telling the truth,’ Toph gasped in surprise but tried to cover it up by coughing. 

They moved on to Suki next. The fortune-teller asked the Kyoshi Warrior if she was ok with her finger being pricked. With the okay from Suki, Aunt Wu pulled out a small needle and pricked Suki’s left ring finger. The needle collected the blood within it so there were no bloodstains on the floor. The old woman proceeded to move over to the fire and drop the drawn blood into the flames creating different images that only a fortune teller could see. Aunt Wu quickly wrote down notes of what she saw with some ‘hmms’ and ‘ahhs’ every few moments. Once the fire died down, Aunt Wu revealed the future seen in the flames. “So, young warrior, I see an interesting future for you. You will marry the love you hoped to marry. You two will have a healthy relationship that will allow your partner to grow even more than he has already. You will bear three healthy children. Strong and powerful like you. Both you and your husband will both be very busy, but will allows find time for your children. Adversity will arise, but I can see that you will handle it the best you can.” Aunt Wu finished looking up to see an excited Suki. “I see I answered all the questions you had, yes?” Suki nodded her head and sat back content, knowing that she and Sokka will be more than okay.

The two girls looked toward the blind earthbender. It was her turn, and they were unsure of how she would handle her fortune being told. “Soooo…” Toph started, “How is this going to work? What do I have to do?” Despite the nonchalant air the earthbender gave off, Aunt Wu felt the shift of skepticism turn into genuine wonder. “Since you’re from the Earth Kingdom, the best way to read your fortune is to prick your finger as we did with Suki, here. But, I have a feeling something else will work better. Do you have something on you that you wouldn’t mind not getting back?” asked the old woman. Without a second thought, she pulled off her headband and handed it over the fortune teller. Both Katara and Suki audibly gasped. Neither had seen the earthbender without it. Toph’s hair had tumbled out of its signature bun revealing long, thick hair falling just past her waist. “Are you sure you want to give your headband to her, Toph?” Katara began. Suki continued, “We’ve never seen you without it. You’re not going to get it back, you know.” The youngest of them simply shrugged, “I’m a Beifong. I can buy myself a new one. It’s about time I got rid of that one anyways.” 

Aunt Wu figured the conversation was over based on the definite tone from the young earthbender. With that, she threw the green and yellow headband into the fire and watched the flames form different images similar to when she read Suki’s future. All the sudden, the flames started splitting many small coals up and out. The fortune-teller gasped furiously scribbling until the flames settled into a dull flame. “Oh my,” Aunt Wu exhaled, “You, young lady have a very interesting future ahead of you.” All three of the girls sitting across from her perked up and visibly leaned forward to hear Toph’s interesting future. “Well, you and your soulmate have known each other for many lifetimes. You meet almost every lifetime, this one included.” Aunt Wu continued, “A friendship will become an epic love story that will be told for generations. This union will be to a powerful bender, like Katara here. He will give you the freedom you love and eventually you will give him the family he craves. All those sparks earlier showed me that you will have many children, too many to count really, and all with the same man. You must be repopulating the world or something,” the fortune teller chuckled. “Both of you will be busy with your careers, which could lead to those many children feeling neglected, so watch out for that. You will live a long life, past most of your loved ones, but old age will leave you to feel nostalgic. You’ll come back to your family from a long trip.”

The three girls told it all in. Toph was going to marry someone important! And have tons of children. None of them could really see her as a mother yet, but just hearing that gave the older girls hope that Toph would mature more. They thanked Aunt Wu and walked out in awe of their fortunes. 

The boys’ heads perked up when seeing their female companions come out of the backroom. Aang’s eyes landed on Toph. Her hair was down falling much further than he would have ever expected. Her bangs slightly pushed off her face, uncovered a matured face. The airbender noticed that the shape of her face had narrowed and lost its baby fat. It was as if he was really seeing her for the first time. And she was gorgeous. Aunt Wu’s voice rang in his head saying, ‘Don’t look too far or high.’ He realized that Toph was the one the fortune teller was referring to. She was already a close friend, so that took care of the not looking too far part. Unlike the rest of the gang, the earthbender had not been gifted with height. He internally laughed at the fact she was short, and Aunt Wu had suggested to not look too high for his love. 

Aang walked toward Toph and asked, “So… How was your reading?” holding a light blush on his face. “Actually, very insightful,” she replied. They continued walking together outside the building, Toph deep in thought. “Do you think there are any other airbenders out there?” she wondered. “Honestly, I don’t think so. I think I’ll have to birth a whole new nation. And I don’t know any woman who would want to have that many children,” the Avatar replied. Toph stopped walking upon hearing ‘birth a whole nation.’ Aunt Wu had talked about how she had so many children she must be repopulating the world. Suddenly, it all clicked in the earthbender’s head. This was her destiny. To stay with Aang and help him rebuild his nation. She caught up to where the airbender was. He had apparently not noticed her stopping for a moment and continued to talk. “…anyways, Toph, I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date with me tonight…?” 

The Avatar stood there anxious to hear her response. She simply nodded and that was enough for him. They continued walking and began talking about their fortunes, piecing their futures together.


	5. Day 5: The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang thinks back on a few of his firsts with Toph.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Better late than never, right?
> 
> I've been swamped lately, but I will finish Taang Week! (even though it's been over for like 2 weeks.)
> 
> Enjoy! 😊

Aang laid awake in his bed late one night. His wife slept, cuddled up to his side with her head resting in the crook of his neck and one of her short legs wrapped around his much longer ones. Her belly was swollen carrying their first child. The Airbender’s hand relaxed on her stomach. Aang hoped that their baby was an airbender while his wife hoped for an earthbender. They constantly argued about it, but he knew that Toph would be happy with either an airbenders or earthbenders for children. As the Avatar lay in his bed holding his sleeping wife close, watching her sleep, he thought about how lucky he was to have her in his life. His mind drifted back to a few of his firsts with Toph.  
\--  
A few years after the war, Aang, Katara, Toph, Sokka, and Suki discovered Earthen Fire Refinery was over the place where Yangchen’s festival used to be held by the Air Nomads. Aang was fighting General Old Iron and losing the battle until Toph and her metalbending students came to his aid, ripping his plates of metal off his body. He witnessed his earthbending master risk her life to help him. In the end, Aang defeated General Old Iron and met up with the original metalbender. The Avatar took a good look at her realizing for the first time that she was not the twelve-year-old who had first trained him. While she was still stubborn, rough, sarcastic, and covered in dirt, her physical appearance had drastically changed. She had grown a couple of inches (though still shorter than the rest of them by a good amount). She wore her hair in a loose braid that hung down to her hips, replacing her signature bun, and her boyish frame filled out into a womanly figure. This was the first time Aang thought Toph was beautiful instead of his tough earthbending master.

They embraced each other on the shore and thanked each other for the assistance, staying like that for a long time. Aang clung on to Toph’s tiny waist while her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, both thankful that the other wasn’t hurt. Aang inhaled, smelling her scent: earth mixed with vanilla. ‘What a surprisingly pleasant scent she has’ the airbender thought to himself.  
\--  
After Katara and Aang ended their relationship, the master airbender found it difficult to travel alone, so he approached Toph at her metalbending academy asking if she would travel with him. He would have asked the others, but he knew they were all too busy. Sokka and Suki were both busy being leaders of their people and traveling to visit one another all the time. Zuko was now Fire Lord, meaning he’d be swamped with royal and political engagements. And Katara, well, he couldn’t travel with his ex, especially since part of the reason they separated was that she wanted to settle down. So that left Toph, who was busy with her academy but still loved to travel.

Upon arrival, Aang walked through the door only to have a chunk of rock come flying at his head. He narrowly dodged the attack and glared at the direction it came from. The blind earthbender smirked feeling his eyes land on her. “So, you finally decide to visit me, Twinkle Toes. Looking to actually master earthbending, now?” the blind bandit said, placing her hand on her hip. 

Instead of being irritated by the snarky remark, the Avatar smiled walking toward the petite woman with open arms. He brought her into a hug laughing, “Sure, Sifu,” but let’s talk about it over dinner” Aang responded. For half a second, he felt the earthbender tense then untense. Aang wondered what made her tense but moved on, bracing himself for a punch in the arm or a sarcastic comment, but instead he heard, “Sure, I’ll be done in twenty minutes. I’ll meet you outside when I’m finished with my lily-livers.” He continued to stand there content with the answer wrapped up in his own thoughts when he felt something- no someone struggle against his chest. Looking down, the airbender realized he was still embracing a now squirming Toph. “Twinkle Toes, you gotta let go of me so I can finish my lesson!” And with that he loosened his grip and watched her walk away to the next room, hips swaying in a way he never noticed before.

Thirty minutes passed as the young Avatar waited outside the academy, leaning on Appa’s leg. He saw all of the students run out of the building ten minutes ago and wondered what was taking his friend so long. Another few minutes passed by when a young woman in a pale green qipao came out. Her hair flowed down to her hips with a single braid wrapped around the crown of her head. Aang almost didn’t recognize the blind earthbender. He’d never seen her hair down before, or in a dress unless it was for a formal occasion. He felt his cheeks heat up, thankful that she couldn’t see it. “Hey Toph,” he said sheepish, “you look really nice” he continued, rubbing the back of his head.

“Thanks, Aang,” The earthbender replied, “So, where are we going for dinner?” 

“Well, I saw this noodle place in town and thought we’d go there!” the Avatar said, pulling her toward the town. “Alright,” Toph shrugged letting the tall airbender pull her. 

The pair walked into the restaurant and quickly got seated upon being recognized as the Avatar and his earthbending master. They ordered their food and sat in awkward silence. Toph broke the silence, “So, you actually want to become an earthbending master, now? After all these years?” Her sightless eyes staring in Aang’s direction. “Well, yes… well not exactly… uhh sort of…” the airbender stumbled over his words. He took a deep breath and started again, “I actually came here to ask if you would like to travel with me. It hasn’t been very fun traveling alone, and I’d love your company! I’d also be up for mastering earthbending while we travel, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of my Avatar duties too much.”

“Ooh, so that’s the reason why you came here. To look for Sugar Queen’s replacement,” Toph responded with a hint of bitterness in her tone. “No thanks, I’m not one’s second choice,” she continued forcibly grabbing the glass of water on the table and taking a big gulp of it. Aang panicked, “No! You’re not a replacement or a second choice at all! I wanted to travel with you because I haven’t gotten to spend much time with you in the past few years. We only see each other at the End of War anniversary ball,” he exclaimed. “I’m not the same man I was a year ago. I’ve gotten over Katara and just wanted to spend some time with my earthbending friend who is under one-hundred years old,” he continued. The blind earthbender continued to glare at him, her sightless eyes seeming to pierce his soul. Their waiter came with their food and left quickly feeling the tension between the two. They sat in silence eating both considering the conversation they had while waiting for the food. Finally, Aang heard Toph say, “Fine, I’ll come with you.” Shifting his head up to look at her, his lips moved into a light smile. “Thank you, Toph. This really means a lot to me. I promise I’ll master earthbending while we travel.” The woman snorted, “Yeah, sure you will.” 

The two continued on with friendly conversation, catching each other up on what they’ve been up to for the past year. The night ended with the Avatar walking his teacher back to her academy that doubled as her home. They had decided to leave in the morning and get a good night’s rest. 

Aang bid Toph goodnight and walked to the guestroom. Aang was deep in thought, laying on his bed thinking about the blind earthbender in the room down the hall. ‘She sure looked pretty tonight. I wonder when she started wearing dresses,’ he thought. The airbender continued to think about the earthbender. ‘I think this is the first time we’ve actually spent time alone,’ was his last thought as he drifted off the sleep.  
\--  
Toph and Aang settled into a routine while traveling together. They’d travel or do Avatar business during the day and spar at night, after setting up camp and before making dinner. It was a pretty good deal for both of them. Aang got a traveling companion who had surprisingly been a lot of help when negotiating and assisting on his Avatar duties. Toph got her freedom and got to train - beat Aang up – on a regular basis. The pair grew closer and shared everything with each other, becoming each other’s confidant and best friends. 

During their blossoming friendship, Aang realized that he was starting to harbor feeling for his earthbendering master. He loved that she still smelled like a mixture of earth and vanilla, that she snorted when laughing too hard, and that she would hold on to him tightly when walking over wood or around water, to name a few things he liked about her. The master airbender found it hard to not kiss her head or snuggle close to her when she slept. His mind was slowly consumed with thoughts of the blind bender. He didn’t know how long he would be able to stand being around her without releasing his strong feelings for her. 

One night, Aang was training with Toph, per usual. It was a clear night with a full moon high in the sky. The two fiercely sparring with each other. Toph only allowed Aang to use earthbending while sparring until he mastered the stubborn element. The Avatar was improving at a rapid pace with training every day with his Sifu, much to her delight and dismay. He was getting harder to beat. Aang was trying to improve his seismic sense by wearing a blindfold while sparring. The first few months had been rough, but he was slowly getting the hang of it. He could now sense Toph’s movement pretty well, as long as he kept his focus. 

The two fought hard, both with sweat dripping down their dirt-covered bodies after hours of training. Exhaling deeply, Toph conjured sharp rocks from the ground and threw them towards Aang’s head. Due to his fatigue, Aang barely had time to jump out of the way. The fabric covering his eyes got pulled off after getting caught on one of the pointed rocks shot toward him. The force of the fabric being ripped off of him caused him to open his now uncovered eyes. In front of him stood his dirt-covered best friend, smirking from the gasp he emitted a few seconds ago. His focus from the current battle was lost after seeing the metalbender under the light of the full moon. Her hair mostly out of its messy bun tumbling down her back glistened in the moonlight. Her pale eyes twinkling from the reflected light. She was beautiful. She was powerful. And she had hit him with a fifty-pound boulder, knocking him down. 

Aang closed his eyes, quickly shifting his from the dangerous woman’s beauty to his seismic sense. Feeling that her guard was down after the boulder hit him, he swiftly threw a pair of rock cuffs at the petite earthbender locking them around her wrists and continuing to manipulate the earth to pin her against a tree with her arms secured above her head. He then threw two more cuffs at her ankles and attached them to the tree, making sure her feet weren’t touching the ground, and one big piece that secured her waist to the tree. Aang got up from his kneeled position and strolled toward his captured opponent. “You give up this round?” the airbender smiled at his quick thinking.

“Never!” she cried, squirming in her shackles. Aang, knowing she’d be able to break free if he ceased his hold on the earth around her body, continued the manipulate the rock holding her. He now stood in front of her, watching her slowly stop struggling with a pout on her lips. Aang moved closer to her, seeing Toph look up in surprise when she felt his breath on her face. The airbender didn’t realize what came over him but seeing her pout and being this close to her caused him to drop his wall holding back his emotions. He touched his lips to hers, hard, feeling her tense for a second. A second later he felt her kiss back. Aang cupped her cheek with his right hand and placed his left on her hip, releasing his hold on her stone cuffs. Feeling her starting to slip down, his hand moved from her hip to wrap around her waist. The airbender felt her legs wind around his torso and her arms going around his neck, securing her to him. 

Too caught up in the moment, Aang didn’t notice his legs and hips sinking in the earth until he was hip-deep in the earth. Toph unlatched her legs from him and his arms from her abruptly and sunk him neck-deep into the ground. She stood up smirking, mockingly saying, “Give up, Twinkle Toes?”  
*


	6. Day 6: Nature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a modern AU where no one has bending, and Toph can see. Toph and Aang are one with nature in different ways while trying to summit a fourteener. A fourteener is a mountain peak that is over 14,000 feet in elevation. It’s a big Colorado thing. (I recently did one, so I thought I’d make a fanfic very loosely based on my experience summiting). Toph and Aang are 21, Katara is 23, Sokka and Suki are 24, and Zuko is 25.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Day six readers! Who thought this day would come so quickly? Honestly, I had a really hard time thinking of a nature theme, so this is the best I got for all of you. This is more fluff than anything else I guess. Since there's light cursing, I guess I'll change the rating to T. 
> 
> Enjoy!

It was 2:00 am. 2:00 am. ‘Who the fuck wakes up at 2:00 am to go on a fucking hike?’ Toph thought as she packed her bag full of snacks, water, her camera, extra clothes to stay warm, and some trekking poles. Of course, it had been Toph’s idea for the gang to attempt to summit a fourteener, so she really shouldn’t complain too much. Katara read that the weather can change quickly when hiking a fourteener, so starting early would be best so they don’t get caught in a thunderstorm. And that’s how Toph ended up being awake at 2:00 am. She watched her sleep-deprived roommates, Katara and Suki, run around to get their packs put together. 

The boys planned to meet outside the girls’ apartment at 2:30 to figure out the seating arrangements in the cars. Suki had a four-door Chevy Silverado which would make it a breeze to drive up the rough mountain road without worrying about getting stuck in ditches and ruining her car. The other car was up in the air because no one else had a large car. The next biggest car was Zuko’s, but since he was leasing it the car was out of the running. Aang, who had a Nissan Rogue, was the next biggest car, meaning his car would have to weather the rough drive up and hope his car was in one piece at the top. 

2:30 came around when Suki heard a knock on their door, letting the boys in. Sokka was in as bad of a mood as Toph was, both of them cherished their beauty sleep. Zuko and Aang tried to keep their spirits high greeting the girls. “Are we ready to go?” Zuko asked scanning each girls’ packed bags. Seeing that they were ready, Zuko turned around and started walking out followed by the rest of the group. “So,” Aang mused, “how are we splitting up in the cars?” Sokka and Suki had been dating since the beginning of college. Katara and Zuko have this complicated relationship that no one really understood, but they always stuck together whether they were fighting or hooking up together. Toph and Aang had been best friends for forever, but recently started dating after they went on a double date together with other people as their dates which began with the pair being passive-aggressive toward each other and ended with the two making out after their dates left. Needless to say, the three couples refused to be split up.

Sokka suddenly yelled, “I call shotgun in Suki’s car!” and ran past everyone to get into the front passenger seat. Suki rolled her eyes as the group continued to walk down the stairs. “Twinkle Toes and I will be in his car. I guess that just leaves Zuko and Katara. Which car are you two going to take?” Said pair looked at each other, seeming to telepathically debate with each other until both nodded. “We’ll be with Suki,” Zuko began, “No offense Aang, but I don’t think your car can handle four people going up that mountain.” Aang shrugged, “Fair enough. Well, see you four there!” The group got into their designated cars and drove off. 

“You know,” Aang began as Toph got into his car, “My car does have a name.” Toph rolled her eyes and responded, “I’m not going to call your car Appa.” The driver laughed shaking his head, “Just you wait Ms. Beifong, you’ll be calling him Appa soon enough.”  
\--  
The car ride was about two hours in when they came to the dirt road leading the way up to the start point of the fourteener. Aang carefully started moving his car up the road, barely being able to see anything in front of him unless his high beams were on. Upon turning on the high beams, the light revealed a very bumpy road ahead. There were divots everywhere making the car vibrate and rattle around. Aang had to go up the road at ten miles per hour for eleven miles. ‘Good thing Suki was ahead of me’ Aang thought. Somehow Toph slept through the hourlong car ride up the mountain. It was about 5:00 am when Aang and Toph met with the rest of the group, or more accurately, Suki’s truck. The members of the other car had decided to start without them. Getting out of the car, the wind whipped around them, blowing hard. The starting point was above treeline, so there was no coverage to calm the wind. The pair shivered as they stood by the trunk pulling more clothes on and changing into their hiking boots. The wind died down a bit, and the couple began their ascent, trying to catch up with the others. 

The trail was a dirt path with small pebbles and rocks scattered around. The two trekked up the first big uphill piece, Aang huffing loudly while Toph seemed to breathe at a normal pace. As they reached the top of the uphill, Aang had to take a breather. Toph looked up at the mountain peak that seemed to be the mountain they were going to submit and said, “It looks like we’ll just be following these switchbacks up to the top of that peak.” She pointed at the peak in front of them. “Great! That doesn’t look too difficult,” Aang responded trying to stay optimistic despite the fact that he was already out of breath and they had only gone up about one-hundred feet. They continued on. 

The young couple have gained about 1,000 feet of elevation and were crossing a saddle on the trail when the wind really began to pick up. The blew so hard that Toph and Aang had to stop where they were to not be blown over. Toph seemed to have a more difficult time staying stable with the strong gusts of wind than Aang. The girl looked at her boyfriend bewildered because he looked almost relaxed with the wind whipping around him. He almost seemed like one with it. “How are you doing that?” Toph shouted over the noisy whistles the air made in her ears. “Doing what?” Aang responded. “Staying so steady! This air is about to blow me over, and you look like you're moving around like you’re part of the wind.” Toph yelled.

Aang gave a light laugh as he gracefully moved closer to his wind chilled girlfriend. He reached out his hand waiting for her to accept it. Toph reluctantly grabbed it, worried that if she released the anchor that was her trekking pole that she would tumble over. “Here,” Aang began, “feel how the wind is blowing us in one way?” Toph nodded clenching tightly to her boyfriend turned stability tool. “Just walk toward in the opposite direction that the wind is blowing, and it’ll push you, so you walk in a straight line. Let’s try it together,” the tall boy said smiling. Toph focused hard and followed Aang’s lead. Surprisingly, she found it easier than she expected it to be. The pair continued up the mountain, Toph more stable than before. 

As they continued to ascend, hikers coming down the mountain continued to tell the pair that they were almost to the top, yet they never seemed to be near it. This annoyed Toph deeply, but she continued on in silently yelling at each hiker who told them they were getting close. Aang noticed that Toph continued to breathe easily despite the steep uphill hike they were doing while he kept asking to take breaks to catch his breath. Upon stopping for what must have been the thirtieth breather, Aang was finally curious enough to find out Toph’s secret to not needing to catch her breath every three to four minutes. Toph gave a hearty laugh, “Oh Twinkle Toes, I hike every weekend,” she started, “my lungs have grown stronger over time, so it’s easier for me to breathe going up mountains. What? Did you think that I lie to you and go to the spa every weekend like Katara and Suki do?” She paused for a second thinking further, “Plus, for some reason I just feel really powerful climbing rocks and climbing mountains. Like it’s my element or something… You know what I mean?” Toph looked up at Aang suddenly self-conscious that she had said something incredibly stupid. She didn’t know why she felt that way. It was Aang for crying out loud. He was her best friend and her boyfriend.

Aang stammered, “N-no of course I didn’t think that. I just didn’t realize you went on challenging hikes like this every week!” he exclaimed. “And don’t worry Toph. I know what you mean when you say that the earth feels like your element. I feel the same way about air. That’s probably why I found it so easy to walk through the wind.” The short girl smiled, “Let’s keep moving Twinkle Toes, I think we finally caught up to the others!”

They had indeed caught up to the bigger group. They had also reached the peak of the mountain! It was strangely less windy at the top, so the group decided that it would be a good time to eat an early lunch before descending back down.

“Why did you guys start without us? And how long were you waiting up here for us?” Aang asked. “Well, Suki’s truck made it up that bumpy road in fifteen minutes. We did wait for another fifteen minutes, but we were getting impatient,” Sokka replied. Zuko added, “We’ve only been up here for about five minutes before the two of you caught up to us… How did you make it up the mountain so quickly? The wind was so hard to get through.” 

The youngest pair looked at each other smiling, “I mean, Aang taught me how to move through the wind easier and I pull him along even though his tiny little baby lungs were going to pop.”

“Hey! I didn’t have tiny little baby lungs, they’re perfectly normal thank you very much,” Aang pouted. “But Toph did pull me encourage me to keep going. She explained that stopping more would make my muscles fatigue more and make it even more difficult to continue,” he added. “So, you pretty much hyperventilated most of the way up then?” Sokka asked amazed. Aang sheepishly nodded his head, scratching the back of it like he normally did when he was embarrassed. 

Everyone finished their meals. Katara pulled out her sign that said the peak, the elevation of the peak, and the date out of her backpack and directed everyone to stand in front of the scenic backdrop. She asked a guy who was in a different group if he could take the picture of the whole group and moved into the frame once he accepted. Once the group photo was taken, Katara harassed everyone to take smaller group photos including, couple photos, girls and guys photos, and individual photos. After Katara’s motherly side was satisfied with all the photos taken they began their descent done. Toph had changed into her trail runner shoes and began to scamper down the mountain at a swift pace. With the trick that Aang taught Toph, she ran her way down with more ease, even with the heavy wind blowing stronger on the way down. The boys watched her run down in awe at how efficiently and gracefully she maneuvered her way down until she was out of sight. 

The rest of the gang made their descent down the hill, the wind being even worse than on their way up. After the worst of the wind chilling hike down, they moved quickly down the mountain. At one of the saddles, Aang was the first to notice a frustrated pouting Toph sitting on a rock holding her left ankle. Panicked at the sight, he hurried his way down to her to see what was wrong. The other picked up their pace after seeing Aang begin to sprint downhill. “What happened?” he asked as he got within hearing distance from his obviously injured girlfriend. “I think I sprained my ankle,” the injured girl said quietly. Aang knelt down to her and started to touch and move her ankle around asking what hurt, each time she hissed in pain. 

Katara was the first to make it to the pair pulling off her pack and started to look for her first aid kit. Katara was in her first her of a nursing program and used her skills to access her roommate’s injury. “Toph it looks like you sprained your ankle pretty bad. It’s already swelling.” The nursing student began wrapping the younger girl’s ankle continuing on, “You really shouldn’t be putting any more pressure on your left foot. It could get worse if you do.” The nurse in training turned to Aang, “Do you think you can carry her the rest of the way down? She shouldn’t walk down the rest of the way.” Without hesitation, Aang said, “Of course!” Zuko placed a hand on the younger man’s shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, we can carry her, too, if you need a break at any time.” Aang gave Zuko and Sokka an appreciative nod as he crouched down to let Toph grab onto his neck, grabbing her legs to secure them around his waist. “It’s only about another mile,” Sokka added, “And this is the easiest part of the hike,” he said encouragingly. 

Once Toph was secured on Aang’s back the group continued down the last mile of the hike. “So this is what it’s like being this tall,” Toph mused. “It’s not bad,” she continued, “you can see so much more up here.” Aang lightly laughed feeling her play with his right ear and rubbing his bald head. “What are you doing?” he wondered. Toph continued to draw patterns on his hairless scalp, “Oh nothing, just getting a better look at these bad boys. I never get to see them up close and personal.” The boy rolled his eyes, “Toph, you always play with my ear-” “Not when you’re at your full height,” Toph interrupted, “I thought you liked when I played with your ears.” Aang could practically hear the smirk in her voice. “I wasn’t complaining, just wondering why you were touching them,” the piggyback-giving boy replied, not wanting to admit how much he enjoyed the ear massage. The two felt into a comfortable silence as Toph nuzzled her chin into Aang’s neck. They whispered sweet nothings to each other until they reached the car.  
*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day seven will hopefully be up within the next few days... I still have to come up with a concept for Ember Island as my prompt... so it may take me longer...
> 
> But after I'm done with Taang Week, I have a few different stories that I'm hoping to come out with. One will be about soulmarks, another will be a college AU, and a third idea I had will be a Toph/Aang, Kuruk/Ummi love story with an Orpheus and Eurydice Greek Tragedy spin to it (think similar to the Hadestown musical, but it's Aang having flashbacks to different past lives - Kuruk/Ummi - and a different world where Aang is Orpheus and Toph is Eurydice).


	7. Day 7: Ember Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gaang vacations in Ember Island ten years after the war. Katara and Aang separated five years back and have remained good friends since the split. They even continued to travel together. No one has seen Toph or Zuko since the five-year end of war anniversary. The only couple currently together is Sokka and Suki, who have been married for three years and have a two-year-old child. Watch the benders play a seemingly innocent game of chicken in the ocean. Will there be Zutara hidden in this one-shot? Or will Katara actually be an independent woman who don’t need no man? I guess we’ll find out, or maybe not because this is a Taang fanfic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers!
> 
> I have finally come up with a story to match the Ember Island prompt for the last day of Taang week! Here it is! I hope you all enjoy this little drabble. And WOO I finished Taang Week!!! like a month late, but I'm hoping it's a quality story over me trying to do something not as well on time!
> 
> Things are not as they seem in the beginning, so keep reading!

Katara took the reins from Aang as the moon came up. The former couple had continued to remain close after their inevitable break up five years prior, and they had moved into a comfortable routine over the ten years of the two traveling together. Katara steered Appa at night because the moon called to her while Aang did the days. The pair was only a night away from reaching Ember Island, the agreed-upon location that Team Avatar choose for their reunion. It had been far too long since they had seen their chosen family. The two visited Sokka and Suki often, especially after the older couple had their first child, but the airbender and waterbender never seemed to be able to track down The Blind Bandit, and the Fire Lord was too busy continuing to work uniting the Fire Nation that they couldn’t visit him either. They didn’t even know if Toph was going to show up. Katara peacefully stared at the full moon and steered Appa toward the dark landmass that was Ember Island.  
\--  
The flying bison landed in front of the Fire Lord’s beach house just as the sun hung a few inches over the horizon. Both Aang and Katara were awake by then and noticed a slim tall figure practicing his firebending on the beach. The man was focused, unfazed by the ten-ton flying bison landing twenty feet behind him. The airbender landed lightly on his feet, deciding to sneak up on the master firebender ahead of him, launching a strong gust of wind intending to knock his firebending master over. To the Avatar and his waterbending master’s surprise, the firebender dodged the airstream and shot a jet of fire at Aang with a smirk on his face. The airbender barely had enough time to deflect the attack due to his shock. “Welcome back to Ember Island, Avatar,” the Fire Lord greeted, bowing with a vague look of approval after watching his pupil successfully dodge his sneak attack.

“Greetings, Sifu Hotman,” the younger man responded after catching his breath. “How did you know I was here?” Aang continued while helping Katara down from Appa. Zuko paused before answering, “Let’s just say, I’ve had a lot of practice these past five years…And Appa isn’t this quietest when landing. Took you two long enough! Everyone else has been here for a few days already.” The airbender sheepishly rubbed the back of his bald head, “Well,” he began, “We were on schedule until a town recognized Appa and called us down to do some Avatar business so that dela-” “Wait!” Katara yelled, “Everyone’s here? Including Toph? How did anyone get a hold of her? Neither of us hasn’t heard from her since the five-year anniversary!” Katara was excited to see how the young earthbender had grown – and have some girl time.

Zuko hesitated, trying to come up with a good lie. Toph had stayed in the Fire Nation since the fifth anniversary but swore him to secrecy to not tell the rest of the group. “She… uhm… well she actually came to visit me right when I was about to leave for Ember island and decided to tag along and see everyone,” he ended coolly. His lying skills had improved exponentially since Toph, the human lie detector, choose to ‘help out’ in the Fire Nation. “Oh, great!” Katara said, buying Zuko’s lie, “Is everyone else awake?” she continued walking toward the beach house. “I mean there’s a reason I practice firebending out here instead of by the house, but they should all be awake by now,” the firebender said while examining the sun’s placement in the sky. The master waterbender ran to the beach house, with Aang following behind her and Zuko falling into step with him. 

“Man,” the older bender observed, “You’ve gotten tall, buddy.” The Fire Lord was now a few inches shorter than the Avatar. The last time they had seen each other, Aang was a few inches shorter than Zuko. “Sokka isn’t going to like being the shortest boy,” Zuko laughed as Aang joined in. They continued conversing about world affairs while heading into the house. The two master benders found Sokka, Suki, and their child, Kama sitting on a couch together and Katara hugging a shorter woman, who Zuko knew as Toph, but Aang had yet to recognize.

The petite woman had long waist length, black hair that was half up in a traditional Fire Nation top knot but wore an Earth Kingdom colored nightdress. She had a womanly figure; wide voluptuous hips curving into a slim waist and back out into a generously sized bosom. The young Avatar flushed a deep red at the woman’s appearance while wondering who she was and how Katara knew her. The shorter woman squirmed under the older woman and bellowed, “Let go of me Sugar Queen!” This declaration swiftly shifted Aang’s far off wondering gaze to a shocked one. ‘THAT’S TOPH’ Aang repeated in his head over and over while watching Katara let go of his earthbending master and said master affectionately punching the waterbender in the arm. The airbender absentmindedly followed Zuko toward the two women, who were catching up, rather Katara was catching Toph up on her life. Zuko went over to greet Toph with a kiss on the top of her head.

The conversation in the room abruptly hauled at the affectionate action the metalbender allowed the Fire Lord to do. As far as the whole room knew, the petite earthbender never let anyone show that kind of affection to her. The even more flabbergasting action was that Toph actually wrapped her hand around Zuko’s arm. Sokka broke the silence with his ever so graceful comment of, “When did Toph get soft?” The earthbender and firebender suddenly realized the affectionate actions they revealed to the group, and Toph dropped her hand from Zuko’s arm and took a few steps away from him. Zuko in turn flushed and shuffled to the kitchen stammering out a few words about making some tea.

Aang stayed in his thoughts, giving Toph a good look. ‘No wonder her hair is styled in a traditional Fire Nation hairdo. Her and Zuko must be dating’ he thought bitterly, strangely feeling jealousy bubbling inside of him. He snapped out of his disgruntled thoughts to his earthbending master addressing him. 

“Twinkle Toes! Long time no see… well you know what I mean,” she said trying to move past the actions she and the Fire Lord displayed to the group a few seconds earlier. “Wow,” she continued, “You’re taller. I bet you beat Snoozles over here in the height department now.” That comment seemed to do the trick as Sokka scurried over to the youngest members of the group saying, “There’s no way he’s taller than me.” Sokka grumbled while turned Aang around so they were back to back. “Now, Toph,” the water tribesman said, “look and see who’s taller. I can guarantee that it’s me.” All the women, including the two-year-old Kama rolled their eyes and stayed silent. “Well?!?!” Sokka exclaimed impatiently waiting for Toph’s response. 

“Toph can’t see, Sokka. And you’re definitely shorter than Aang now,” Zuko broke the silence emerging from the kitchen with a tray of tea and six teacups. “You’re the shortest of the guys now,” Zuko continued, “That’s rough buddy.” The sentiment was not received well as the firebender held a smirk on his face. 

The mysteriously affectionate action between the firebender and earthbender was forgotten as the group caught up with each other at the dining table eating breakfast and sipping on tea. At least, it was forgotten to all but the Avatar, who glared at every small movement that Zuko made that involved Toph; like touching the small of her back, pulling her seat out, them whispering to each other, and even them sitting next to each other. This attentiveness from the master airbender remained for the next few days.  
\--  
Team Avatar was on the beach of Ember Island, a couple of days later, playing in the ocean, creating sand sculptures, and just relaxing. Toph had impressively managed to make a replica of the whole world map with each city she had been to engraved in its correct location in the sand, and she had been to almost every place in the world over the past ten years it seemed. Only two or three places didn’t have replicas of the locations. The group looked in awe at her work. “It looks like the only places you haven’t been are the rest of the Air Temples,” Aang commented. “I’d love to take you there! Then you can have a completed map.” Toph shrugged, and replied, “If you say so Twinkles.”

The day went on and the group slowly made their way into the ocean, including Toph surprising everyone besides Zuko. Katara commented, “Wow Toph, you’re pretty confident in the water now. How did that happen?” The group all turned to the blind earthbender, waiting for a response. “I learned some new moves over the years, two of those moves include learning how to see in the water and swimming,” Toph said holding the faintest blushes on her cheeks that only Aang noticed. He quickly looked toward Zuko, who also had a light blush on his cheeks. These weird secretive looks and blushes his earthbending and firebending masters shared were aggravating him after days of seeing it, and he couldn’t understand why.

Sokka had brought them out into the ocean to play a game of chicken. Sokka and Suki would be refereeing the match since they wanted to set a good example for their daughter. Sokka quickly explained the rules to the four players, “Ladies sit on the men’s shoulders and try to knock each other off. Men, it is your job to hold on tight to our top half, so they don’t fall off. You also act as their legs. Also, Aang and Katara, you two aren’t allowed to use waterbending. That’s a huge unfair advantage. Alright! Everyone understand?” Sokka looked at the players as they all nodded their heads. Aang and Katara headed to one side while Toph and Zuko headed toward the other. Aang lowered himself underwater so Katara could sit on his shoulders. Once he secured her legs to him, he emerged from the water with just his head and shoulders showing while Zuko did the same for Toph. Sokka looked at the two towers of people. Toph was much shorter than Katara was, and realized it was because Aang was taller than Zuko, and Katara was taller than Toph. Wanting to see a fair fight, Sokka called the two teams back over and demanded that the girls switch their partners. 

Upon hearing this, Aang’s heartbeat picked up. He hadn’t been physically close to Toph this whole trip since she and Zuko seemed to always be together. He realized he was actually excited to be on the same team as his Sifu. The two female benders descended from the male benders’ shoulders and swim over past each other to their new partners. Aang went underwater again to this time allow Toph to get on his shoulders. Once she was securely on his shoulders, he lifted up; heart beating even faster. As the two stood to their full height, he heard the petite woman sitting on his shoulders say, “Keep your heartbeat steady, Twinkles. I can’t focus on where the others are with all the pounding I’m feeling!” He felt an embarrassed blush rush to his cheeks. ‘Monkey feathers! I forgot what that she could feel of that,’ he thought. He took a deep breath and steadied his heartbeat a bit. The Avatar heard his Sifu mumble, “much better” as he moved forward toward the opposing team. As the two girls got close enough to start pushing each other, Aang tightened his hold on Toph’s thighs. He knew that she, being a competitive person, didn’t want to lose against Katara. And to be completely honest, Aang didn’t want to lose to Zuko. He felt her lean forward and push against Katara, battling the waterbender for the upper hand in this game. When he felt Toph lean back from Katara’s pushes he adjusted himself accordingly so she wouldn’t fall into the ocean. The pair seemed to easily work together to stay balanced and continue on with the chicken fight. Aang heard his upper half throw some colorful taunts at the waterbender. Sokka commentated on the match for his daughter and wife. This continued on until he saw both Katara and Zuko tip over into the water, making him and Toph the champions! They both cheered when that happened. The earthbender pumped one fist in the air and rubbed Aang’s smooth bald head with her other. It was a strange feeling to have someone rub his head, but it felt nice when she did it. He smiled up at her even though he knew she wouldn’t be able to see his expression. He subconsciously rubbed her thigh in response not realizing he was doing it until he felt a splash come from the direction of Katara and Zuko’s downfall. Zuko glared at Aang and his intimate actions towards the small earthbender still sitting on his shoulders. Aang simply glared back but continued to rub her thigh. To his surprise, she let him.   
\--  
Later that evening, Toph sat out on the porch of the beach house alone, listening to the animals and nature. She often enjoyed doing this. She was so focused on the sounds of the environment around her that she didn’t notice the feather-light footsteps stopping next to her and taking a seat next to her until she heard a sigh. The blind earthbender flinched slightly at the sound and relaxed again when she realized it was Aang. “So…” her first pupil began, “Everyone else has told their stories of what they’ve been doing for the past five years except for you. You’ve stayed pretty quiet this whole time. So, what have you been up to?” She rolled her eyes, responding with, “What do you want to know? I’ve been here and there.”

Aang hesitated. He had noticed her and Zuko’s closeness over the past couple of days, and it didn’t sit well with him. He wasn’t planning on asking. But his curiosity got the best of him, “What’s up with you and Zuko?” he asked. “You two are awfully close for two people who haven’t seen each other until now.” The Avatar waited anxiously for the petite woman’s response, half expecting a punch to the arm, half expecting her to just get up in leave. Instead, she just heard her sigh. He looked at his earthbending master. She had a hesitant look in her eyes. 

After two minutes of sitting in tension-filled silence, she answered. “I actually stayed in the Fire Nation these past five years,” Toph bit her lip trying to decide how much she should share. After not hearing Aang say anything, she decided to continue. “Before leaving for the Fire Nation for the fifth anniversary, my parents sat me down. I had made up with them, and they gave me enough freedom to run my metalbending school while living with them. I thought we had an understanding, but they sat me down and told me that I had to get married soon. I was seventeen at the time, and most earth kingdom girls are supposed to be engaged by sixteen. They told me that once I came back from the Fire Nation I would have to meet with suitors.” Toph sighed again. Aang urged her to continue by placing a hand over hers. “I was so mad at the time that I just stormed off to my room and packed all my travel things. Once I was with all of you guys, I didn’t want to go back, but you and Katara were still together at that point. And I didn’t want to be a third wheel traveling with the two of you; same with Sokka and Suki. So, after all of you left, I approached Zuko, explained my situation, and asked if I could stay there. Zuko understood and gave me jobs to do. I trained his armies, rebuilt towns and cities, even advised on foreign affairs. We grew close. He was the big brother I never had, and I guess I was the little sister that he wished Azula was,” she shrugged. “As time went on, Zuko’s advisors bothered him about finding a Fire Lady. And after being there for so long, I had taken up most of what the Fire Lady was supposed to do, so we started to fake date to appease the advisors,” she laughed while shaking her head. “We’ve still got them fooled. Those dumb advisors think we’ve been together for three years, but truth is, we’re just using each other to keep our freedom for as long as possible. The closeness that you all see is just our pseudo sibling bond.”

Aang relaxed now knowing that Toph was single and not dating the oldest member of Team Avatar. “Why didn’t you send a messenger hawk to Katara and me after the two of us had broken up? You could have traveled some of those years!” The airbender wanted answers. Earlier that day he had come to accept that after seeing Toph after five years, she was the missing piece to his heart. She looked over in his general direction and said, “I thought about it, I really did. But, be the time I had found out, I was an essential part of the Fire Nation court. I couldn’t just leave Zuko without a replacement, and there really wasn’t anyone who could fill all the duties I was fulfilling.” 

The two sat in silence laying on their backs on the porch one looking at the stars, the other pretending to look at the stars. The airbender rolled onto his side to face his sifu and quietly asked, “If I asked you to come with me after this vacation, would you travel the world with me again?” The Avatar’s heart pounded in his chest waiting for the beautiful woman’s answer. He could tell she was deep in thought as she bit her lower lip, something he’d never seen her do before. “Only if you can find a replacement for me on Zuko’s court, and I won’t be a third wheel to you and Sugar Queen,” she ended in a whisper. “Actually,” Aang started, “Katara wants to stay in one place for a little bit, so maybe we can convince Katara to take over your position. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about being the third wheel, even though she and I broke up years ago.” Toph rolled on her side to face Aang and smiled, “Okay, if you can get Katara to take over my duties then I will travel with you.” Aang smiled and stared at Toph’s pale green eyes reflect the light of the moon off of them, wanting to kiss her with every fiber of his being. Instead, he settled with playing with her long hair. The two stayed like that in comfortable silence, listening to the sound of the ocean until they both drifted to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking through it all with my Taang Week prompts! I wrote them at a glacial pace, but I have more ideas and longer stories in the making so look out for those soon! I'm going to try to write a few chapters before posting a new story, so I can post like once or twice a week consistently without keeping people waiting too long.


End file.
